Storage medium storing a game program, game apparatus, and game control method

• US 7,862,431 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2007
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ota, Keizo
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan; James S
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, BRANDON RAMON
• Application Number:
  US11/709,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20080096660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 463/36, 463/38, 463/39, 463/43, 463/32, 463/33, 345/473, 345/474, 345/475
• US Class Current: 463/39
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5258 by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/646 for calculating the trajectory of an object
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images

Abstract

A video game apparatus includes a CPU, and the CPU allows a game to proceed according to input data transmitted from a controller performed a swing operation by a player. When a ball hit by a player character according to a swing operation performed by the player collides with a target object, a collision location thereof is detected. For example, a normal target image and several different types of broken target images are prepared and one of the broken target images is selected according to the collision location. In addition, a determinant is calculated for placing the broken target image in a virtual three-dimensional space such that a direction oriented toward the collision location from a center of a target object matches a reference direction of the broken target image. Then, the broken target image is placed and thereafter display is provided in such a manner that the target object is breaking.

Claims

1. A non-transitory storage medium storing a game program for a game apparatus having operation programmed logic circuitry, storage programmed logic circuitry, and a display, said game program causing a computer of said game apparatus to function as:

operation information acquisition programmed logic circuitry for acquiring operation information from said operation programmed logic circuitry;

a first-object display controller for controlling display of a first object based on first-object image data stored in said storage programmed logic circuitry, said first object being fired or rebounded by a player based on the operation information acquired by said operation information acquisition programmed logic circuitry;

a target object display for displaying a target object on said display, said target object being a target for contacting said first object by said player;

a second-object display controller for controlling display of a second object based on any of a plurality of second-object image data stored in said storage programmed logic circuitry, said second object including a plurality of part images and having a same appearance as said target object;

contact determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether said first object has contacted said target object;

a distance calculator for calculating, after it is determined by said contact determination programmed logic circuitry that said first object has contacted said target object, a distance from a center of said target object to a contact location;

a direction calculator for calculating, after it is determined by said contact determination programmed logic circuitry that said first object has contacted said target object, a direction oriented toward said contact location from the center of said target object; and

a selector for selecting any of a plurality of second objects according to the distance calculated by said distance calculator, wherein

said second-object display controller allows the second object selected by said selector to be displayed so as to be oriented in the direction calculated by said direction calculator, and allows, after the display, each of the plurality of part images including the second object to be randomly moved and displayed.

2. A storage medium storing a game program, according to claim 1, wherein

said second-object display controller allows the plurality of part images including said second object to be randomly moved and displayed, based on a physical computation with an initial speed of random magnitude being set to each of the plurality of part images and gravity being set in a downward direction of a display screen.

3. A storage medium storing a game program, according to claim 2, wherein

said second-object display controller determines directions of vectors with respective start points being first world coordinates of a joint point of the plurality of part images including said second object and respective end points being second world coordinates of display reference locations of the respective plurality of part images, as directions of said respective initial speeds.

4. A storage medium storing a game program, according to claim 1, wherein

each of said part images includes a single or a plurality of polygons.

5. A game apparatus comprising operation programmed logic circuitry, storage programmed logic circuitry, and a display, said game apparatus comprising:

operation information acquisition programmed logic circuitry for acquiring operation information from said operation programmed logic circuitry;

a first-object display controller for controlling display of a first object based on first-object image data stored in said storage programmed logic circuitry, said first object being fired or rebounded by a player based on the operation information acquired by said operation information acquisition programmed logic circuitry;

a target object display for displaying a target object on said display, said target object being a target for contacting said first object by said player;

a second-object display controller for controlling display of a second object based on any of a plurality of second-object image data stored in said storage programmed logic circuitry, said second object including a plurality of part images and having a same appearance as said target object;

contact determination programmed logic circuitry for determining whether said first object has contacted said target object;

a distance calculator for calculating, after it is determined by said contact determination programmed logic circuitry that said first object has contacted said target object, a distance from a center of said target object to a contact location;

a direction calculator for calculating, after it is determined by said contact determination programmed logic circuitry that said first object has contacted said target object, a direction oriented toward said contact location from the center of said target object; and

a selector for selecting any of a plurality of second objects according to the distance calculated by said distance calculator, wherein

said second-object display controller allows the second object selected by said selector to be displayed so as to be oriented in the direction calculated by said direction calculator, and allows, after the display, each of the plurality of part images including the second object to be randomly moved and displayed.

6. A game control method for a game apparatus comprising operation programmed logic circuitry, storage programmed logic circuitry, and a display, said method including:

(a) acquiring operation information from said operation programmed logic circuitry;

(b) controlling display of a first object based on first-object image data stored in said storage programmed logic circuitry, said first object being fired or rebounded by a player based on the operation information acquired in (a);

(c) displaying a target object on said display, said target object being a target for contacting said first object by said player;

(d) controlling display of a second object based on any of a plurality of second-object image data stored in said storage programmed logic circuitry, said second object including a plurality of part images and having a same appearance as said target object;

(e) determining whether said first object has contacted said target object;

(f) calculating, after it is determined in (e) that said first object has contacted said target object, a distance from a center of said target object to a contact location;

(g) calculating, after it is determined in (e) that said first object has contacted said target object, a direction oriented toward said contact location from the center of said target object;

(h) selecting any of a plurality of second objects according to the distance calculated in (f); and

(i) allowing the second object selected in (h) to be displayed so as to be oriented in the direction calculated in (g), and allowing, after the display, each of the plurality of part images including the second object to be randomly moved and displayed.